Celebrating Cuaresma (Lent) with Enfrijoladas

The Lenten season is upon us. In these 40 days, we dedicate time to reflect on our lives, treasure our blessings and help those in need.

As Catholics we observe Cuaresma (Lent) the 40 day (not including Sundays) penitential season that ends on Easter Sunday. On Ash Wednesday and every Friday during Lent families abstain from consuming meat.

Growing up in our home we celebrated Lent with abstaining from meat the complete 40 days. As a child I could not fathom this notion. Really 40 days without pizza or hamburgers??

She was right. The 40 days flew by and not once did we ever miss a hamburger or pizza. Maybe these enfrijoladas bursting with flavor, comfort and cheese had something to do with it.

Warm tortillas dipped into a creamy bean sauce, topped with a spicy salsa and a sprinkle of cheese. A quick dinner idea, perfect for a crowd with the added bonus of affordability. Serve these enfrijoladas on small plates as an appetizer, lightly mount them on a plate for lunch or feed a crowd for dinner. Make these your own by switching to black beans or fill them with rajas de poblano or even an assortment of roasted veggies for a filling meatless meal.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another minute, stirring not to allow the garlic to burn. Add beans, bean broth or water and simmer for 15 minutes on low heat. In small batches add your bean mix to a blender. With a kitchen towel held over the lid (to prevent the steam for burning) blend until smooth. Warm the tortillas on the comal. Dip each tortilla in the bean mixture and fold over on the plate. Garnish with toppings of your choice.

Vianney "Bonnie" is a Tejana (Texan) foodie with an eternal love for all things Texas, and is committed to teaching others about her Tex-Mex heritage. On any given day you can find her posting Texas-style recipes or wonderful recipes from Mexico! Check her out at her blog, SweetLifeBake.com!

When I was growing up, my parents loved fish. We kids hated it. So our options were cheese pizza or fish sticks, not just Fridays of Lent, but every Friday of the year. Wish we had this recipe when I was little. Definite add.